The Hounds of Heaven and Hell
by IcefangAuthor01
Summary: A new generation brings fresh beginnings. The arrival of two seemingly normal students to Yokai academy leaves the children of our favorite characters dazed and curious, as well as stirring the interest of some new cast members... But all is not well and darkness brews on the horizon. Can our new heroes stem this tide? Or will both the human and monster worlds fall to it?
1. Chapter 1: Arrival

The night breeze was chill, cooling the generally warm summer night that had settled over this small town in Japan. The air was crisp, unusual for the recently warm days that had been experienced. Two figures walked side by side down the dark street, lit only by the street lights that shone over their heads. One was darkly clothed, his obsidian color hair seemingly absorbing the lights that hit it. His companion was dressed in lighter clothing, hair as white as snow reflecting the light back, like snow. Their breath steamed in front of their faces as they walked, talking quietly.

"You're going to have to shape up a bit, Infernum, if you want to be able to remain in that academy once we arrive. I've only heard a little about it but from what I hear, your attitude won't fly." The female was scolding her tall friend, who had a bored look on his face as he scratched at the black collar that rested around his throat.

"Yea, yea. This is the fifth time you've lectured me about this. I could recite your lectures by heart by now, dear Pruina. I understand that I have to put on a good boy look for the academy." He waved a hand dismissively, offering a half smile to make up for his behavior. "I'll be a good boy, promise." Pruina rolled her eyes, giving the tall young man a light shove and huffing in irritation.

"You'd better. I won't forgive you if you get expelled and leave me there by myself. Unlike you, I care about education." Her sky blue eyes darted about, suddenly aware of how loud she was getting. Lowering her voice, she added, "You know, this might be the first school that we can fit in at. We've always been a bit.. different from our friends. I actually have a good feeling about this place, though. So don't get yourself kicked out." Her answer was a good-natured chuckle and a shrug from Infernum. She snorted, punching his shoulder and hurrying to get ahead of him and home first.

* * *

It was rather early that next day that the two headed away from their homes to attend their new school together. A place that was shrouded in mystery, as they could find nothing about it anywhere. Infernum appeared completely indifferent about the whole situation. He leaned on the window of the bus that they were in as it transported them to their destination. He stared blankly at the scenery, rubbing his collar absently. The damn thing had been bothering him lately and things had only gotten worse as they neared this academy. He let out a soft sigh, shaking his head slightly. He tugged on it lightly, grumbling under his breath. Next to him, Pruina shifted slightly, turning her head to look at him.

"Bothering you again?" Her gaze strayed to the collar, to the deep red markings that adorned it. Infernum grumbled softly again, nodding slightly. She sighed, placing one hand on it and closing her eyes for a brief moment. The young man relaxed slowly, the burning sensation fading as a cool feeling washed over the skin of his throat. He grunted in thanks, shifting away from his friend. she simply rolled her eyes, tilting her head as she eyed the area outside the window. It was dark, as if they were in a tunnel, for a brief moment before they appeared at the edge of a cliff side. Red water lapped at the rocks far below and an eerie feeling lingered over the land. Infernum tugged at his collar again, feeling something stir deep in his soul. His friend eyed him again as his eyes lit up with a distant fire. He seemed to be acting even more strangely when he practically raced out of the bus and hopped out onto the ground. He drew in a deep breath, looking about curiously as he waited for Pruína. She stepped out more carefully behind him, grumbling about his antics and giving him a shove.

"Could ya tone it down big shot? You aren't always this excitable and it's a bit strange," she complained, giving him a stern look. The young man simply snorted in amusement, flashing her a sharp toothed grin.

"Oh, lighten up, grouchy. This place feels alive, as if something is burning in the air!" His bright gaze swept over the land, locking onto the distant building that must have been the school. Practically bouncing, Infernum darted forward. "I'll race ya there!" he called over his shoulder at Pruina, who rolled her eyes and trotted along after him. When she caught up to her friend he was standing still, staring up at the school they would be attending with a stupid grin plastered on his face. She turned her gaze to it as well, tilting her head before tugging on his arm.

"Come on, let's go get settled in," she urged, dragging her grinning friend along through the throng of students who were hanging about the campus and chatting.

* * *

Infernum smoothed back his jet black hair, admiring himself for a moment in the mirror of his dorm bathroom. Smokey reddish eyes and thick hair that was forever falling over his handsome and rugged face. He grinned at himself before turning on a heel and padding out of the restroom and into the hall. Only a couple days and he was settling in nicely. Milling about him were other students, although none were in their human forms. You see, this was a school for monsters, which was highly amusing to the young man, whom was human. That did seem a bit odd, though Infernum was generally unconcerned with what the general population thought of him. He was more concerned with how he thought of himself, and though he would die before he admitted it, how Pruona thought of him. Free of worries, he trotted from the dorms and towards the main building, humming with his head held high. Not once did he even notice the dark presence following him.

The dark haired youth met his friend outside their first class together, to which they strolled in and took their seats. The teacher began roll, her gaze narrowing a bit on the sprawled out Infernum. He looked about lazily until another youth entered the classroom. He had silver hair and red eyes, which darted about the classroom as he apologized to the teacher on being late. He walked stiffly to his own seat, flashing the briefest of glares in Infernum's general direction. The young man blinked, snorting at the way this silver haired kid had looked at him. The dark head shook back and forth as he mulled this over in his mind. He didn't dwell on it for too long, as class was soon over and he was moving on to the next. By the end of his day, he had forgotten almost entirely about the silver haired young man, falling in beside Pruína as they left the school. The chatted idly, unaware of their follower.

Infernum bumped Pruína with his shoulder, grinning at his friend. "Fun school, eh? 'Specially all the interesting monsters..." He was rewarded with a snort and eye rolling from her at his comment.

"'Fun' and 'interesting' are one way to describe them, I suppose. Not sure if I like them, though..." She trailed off, narrowing her eyes at something ahead of them. Infernum lifted his head, letting out a short huff and frowning a bit. It was the kid from earlier, standing near the path and staring at them. He advanced as the pair halted, eyes narrowed. His lips drew back, akin to how a dog or wolf would threaten a rival, revealing pointed canines as he neared them.

"So it's you two that are causing that odd feeling of discomfort about the school... You have the look of it," he growled, eying Infernum, who bristled a bit under the comment. "But you, you're too pretty to be giving off such powerful energy. Your friend's is weak, though, so he must be a small and very mundane monster. You, however, could almost be on par with someone like me.." Infernum puffed out his broad chest, stepping forward as Pruína stared at the kid.

"Someone like you, eh? All I see is a pale and scrawny braggart. Put your money where your mouth is, kid, and then I'll be impressed." This statement would have been followed by a laugh had the youth not sent Infernum flying backwards and into a tree with one swift kick. He snorted, glowering at the now pissed and injured Infernum.

"You should learn your place, weakling. I am Aono Akihiko, a vampire of very noble heritage. One such as yourself should not speak to me in such a manner." Oh, now that really pissed off Infernum, who was rising again and wiping blood from his mouth. He laughed, collar burning and itching like hell.

"Ha! I don't care if your father was the king of some country at some time or another. You're still a braggart." The reddish gaze turned on Pruina, who looked about ready to kill this Akihiko kid, and beckoned her over. "Dear Pruína, please remove this damnable collar. It burns like hellfire." Her sharp gaze turned on her friend, eying him oddly.

"You know it isn't supposed to come off. But... against this guy, it may have to.." And so she reached up, unbuckling the collar and sliding it from his neck. Infernum didn't remember much, just flames, the cries of someone in pain, and then the cool leather slipping back onto his neck before the darkness closed in...

* * *

So, this turned out better than I hoped, actually. A new obsession of mine was to write something like this, though the full history will have to be explained when I get more of the characters in the story, so I can tell everyone's story a bit more and get down to the nitty gritty of the back stories and history. Oh, and Infernum Canem and Pruina Lupus. Run those through a translator from English to Latin. Please, leave a comment if you wish and if you like this, follow and like this story so you'll know when I get around to writing the next chapter. Until then, I write away...


	2. Chapter 2: Fire

Light flitted through his closed eyes, sending needles of pain through Infernum's skull. He threw an arm over his eyes, groaning in pain and shaking his head. Dear gods above, why did his head hurt so damn much?! His body was sore as well, though his collar was cool to the touch for once. He felt as though he had been pummeled into dust and then rebuilt, so great was his pain. But he could move, so that was something to think about. Removing his arm from his eyes, he slowly opened them to glance about.

White walls reflected the light back at him, bringing the glare to full intensity and further agitating his headache. His attention turned towards the form lying near him. Silver hair and pale skin told him of who it was. Akihiko must have taken one hell of a beating, as he was practically bandaged from head to toe. From beneath, Infernum could see bright red. Burns, from what he could see. Now what could have caused those... His reddish eyes flickered back as someone new approached, leading a scowling Pruina. A nurse, whom had obviously come to check up on the two who lay in the school's infirmary. Infernum attempted to sit up, only to fall back with a grunt.

"I see you're at least awake. That's good. And you're lucky to even still be here," the nurse added, taking the chance to scold him for his actions. "Your little scrap yesterday left Akihiko in a poor state, with burns all over his body. If your friend hadn't done something, you might have inflicted fatal damage. Not to mention the fact that your body looked as if someone had taken a hammer to it," she added, glaring at him. Infernum snorted, glancing towards the injured vampire.

"Not as if I wanted to kill him. Just lost control, ya know?" He was rewarded with another stern look, to which he looked away and hid a roll of his eyes.

"Just be sure not to do it again. Otherwise, the headmaster will take this more seriously and possibly have you removed from the school." With that, the nurse gave Akihiko a swift look over before leaving the three alone.

Pruina padded over to stand next to him, still scowling. The silence stretched between the two before Infernum finally spoke up, wanting to break it.

"What happened, exactly. I don't remember much of it." It was an innocent question, of course, but the look he was given could have scorched the oceans away. She did answer for a long time and Infernum was just wondering if he should press the subject when she did.

"You.. become some kind of beast. Long and thin, with flesh melted from the bones.." She shuddered, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. "I don't want to think about what that.. thing was, but it wasn't you. That beast would have killed Akihiko if I hadn't replaced the collar..."

Infernum frowned a bit, head tilted to one side. He really didn't know what to make of this bit. He had some memory of flames and then hearing muffled cries but that was it before being re-collared. It was just an empty space of time in his mind, as if it hadn't happened. He was startled from his thoughts but Pruina giving him a nudge.

"Don't get that look on your face. It's weird when you look serious," she said, trying her best to tease him but sounding weak. "I should leave you to rest, though. Whatever happened, it drained you." Infernum yawned halfheartedly, nodding at his friend.

"Don't get into trouble while I'm stuck in this place, eh Pruina?" he called after her as she walked out of the room. She paused, nodded towards him, and then left him to drift back into sleep.

* * *

_Running, running... It was always running. They were getting away, too, flames licking at their heels even still. Why could he never catch them, though? He was fast enough, that was for sure. And yet, they always stayed out of reach._

_Running, running... He was tiring fast, though the fire in his black soul kept him after these intruders. If only they would leave the gate be, he wouldn't have to run. They had attempted to infiltrate the Underworld more than once and enough was enough._

_Slowing, slowing... He left off running, slowing quickly into a trot, then halting completely. They were gone but something felt wrong. He could sense a change in then atmosphere, a chill that made his fiery many flicker. A white shape collided with him, long fangs sinking into his throat. Light dimmed and faded..._

* * *

Infernum awoke in a cold sweat, breathing hard and looking about the dark room. He was still in the infirmary and his muscles ached with a vengeance. He lifted a hand to rub at his forehead, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

That dream.. What had that been all about? It was probably nothing to think too hard on but something about it set wrong with him. Something that struck to familiar..

The feeling that someone was watching him brought the dark haired teen back to the present. Akihiko was awake, red eyes glaring hatefully at the one who had landed him here, unable to to anything but sleep. Disturbed by the overwhelming strength of the stare, Infernum turned his head away and slept once more.

* * *

Infernum was soon back to his old, obnoxious self, as Pruina so kindly put it. He wasn't sure how to look at Akihiko being retained for several more weeks. Truth be told, he was glad not to have that sharp red gaze boring into him where ever he went. The vampire had been glaring at him nonstop since waking up next to the same person who tore him up. So, naturally, Infernum was happy to be out and away from that accusing and hateful stare.

It wasn't as if life was any better outside of a place where he could sleep as long as he wanted and didn't have to do much. Most of the school had gotten wind of the 'scrap' and wanted to know what happened. Infernum brushed them off easily, tuning out the curious questions and boastful challenges. If he was going to be sore after small fights like that, he'd stay out of them. And he didn't want to be kicked out of the school or anything.

The blaze he set finally did calm, though. Instead of the bothering he just got odd stares and whispered remarks as he passed through the school. Not that it bothered him at all. One grows used to such looks even in the human world. It bothered Pruina much more than he himself.

"These looks they keep giving you.. it makes my skin crawl. How does this not bother you at all?" she asked one day as they headed towards their next class. He simply shrugged.

"They don't mean anything to me and I don't even know these people, so why should it bother me?"

"Because they are staring at you as if you've grown a second head, you thick numb skull." She huffed, shaking her head and giving him a light shove. "I'll never understand how you put up with this," she added, sounding exasperated. Infernum shrugged again, chuckling under his breath at her irritation. His amusement died as they were stopped by a tall youth as they were leaving the building.

He had a mellow demeanor, friendly even. Seeing that they had paused for him, he strolled forward to greet to two in a much more pleasant way than Akihiko had.

"Afternoon. I've been told that you two have stirred up quite the commotion. Beating up a vampire is.. interesting. Even if poor Akihiko is a bit weaker than his kin," the youth drawled, tilting his head as he looked them over. Infernum shrugged, hooking his thumbs into the pockets of his uniform pants and sizing up this young man.

"If he's weak, I don't want to know what strong is. He gave me quick the kick."

"Yes, such is how he was taught. Don't take it to heart, though. He's not all bad." The young man chuckled, offering a hand for the pair to shake. "Where are my manners, though. I am Kurono Mamoru. And though you cannot see her, my sister is hiding somewhere behind me. Her name is Shirayuki Yukimi."

Infernum tilted his head a bit, though he nodded. It seemed odd that siblings would not share their parent's name... He shook the hand offered to him, then allowed Pruina to as well.

"Infernum Canem is what you can call me, or just Infernum."

"Pruina Lupus," his friend chimed in, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her own head. Mamoru nodded, still smiling.

"I do hope we can all be friends. Even poor Akihiko. Broody as the vampire is, he is not all bad. Just a trouble child." It was then that Infernum noticed the form of someone else, someone decidedly feminine, peeking at them from behind a nearby tree. He felt a chill steal up his spine and frowned.

"Yea, I'm sure we could be," he answered in his own lazy manner, acting a bit indifferent now. Pruina gave his shoulder a hit, for good measure, then smiled at Mamoru.

"If you can get over this thick headed fool's indifference, yea, we can all be friends. Just so long as your vampire buddy doesn't try to attack him again." Mamoru laughed softly, nodding.

"I doubt he will. And if he does, my sister and I will keep him in line," he answered, nodding one more to himself. Infernum offered a half smile in return to the dark haired teen's own. He liked this guy, he decided. He would be nice to have around, a mellow companion to balance Pruina's lectures. Yes, he and his sister would be decidedly interesting additions to their group. Even Akihiko, if he would tone down his hateful attitude when it came to Infernum.

* * *

AN: Ah, another chapter. I have to say, this is by far the most work I've poured into writing. It is very relaxing as well.

So, you know the drill. Leave a review (nothing negative, please. The more positive, the better. Or at least constructive.), and favorite and follow this if you want to stay updated and liked it! Until then, I shall make due haste to complete a possibly longer and more detailed chapter 3..


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